One of the biggest occasions in anyone’s life is the day of their wedding. For jewellers, Bridal jewellery represents the lion’s share of business some jewellers do annually. Of course, there are the traditional items associated with brides and weddings: engagement rings and wedding bands. But there are also other key pieces of jewellery that one might consider for this special day.
For the bride, there’s the obvious engagement ring and wedding band. When choosing an engagement ring, some men opt to select a ring they feel suits the woman they’re proposing to and present it as a surprise at the proposal. Others opt for the more modern approach of proposing with a ‘dummy’ ring and then taking their fiancée shopping to pick out a suitable engagement ring together. It is important to consider the shape and style of the engagement ring carefully – odds are the lady will be wearing it for many years to come. What’s more, the wedding band purchased will need to fit comfortably on the woman’s finger with the engagement ring. And finally, when choosing a wedding band, most couples opt to get matching rings – sometimes this means they’re merely made from the same material, other times it actually means there is a larger ring suitable for the man and a more delicate version of the same ring for the woman.
In addition to these rings, many grooms opt to give their bride-to-be a special gift on the wedding day (or the night before), and a growing tradition is that the groom gives his bride a special piece of jewellery to be worn on the wedding day – this can be a necklace, a pair of earrings, a bracelet or even a brooch. Though it makes sense that some men would be hesitant to give their bride something to wear on the day, as many grooms have no idea what the bride will be wearing, a simple piece of jewellery can compliment any outfit. Another key piece of jewellery that brides often purchase for their wedding day is a tiara – after all, it is her day to be ‘queen’.
For the groom, traditional pieces of jewellery rarely extend beyond the wedding band and occasionally a pair of special cufflinks that are given to the groom by the bride. However, many men will opt to wear a brooch in place of the traditional button-hole corsage. In general, a man’s wedding band will be chosen to compliment the wedding band his wife will wear. Wedding bands are traditionally made from gold, though it has become fashionable to purchase platinum wedding bands in recent years.
Other members of the wedding party traditionally receive a gift from the bride and groom as a token of their appreciation – it is popular to give bride’s maids a necklace or pendant to compliment the dress they’ll wear that day. Additionally, some couples opt to give the groom’s men and ushers a gift – popular choices for this include cufflinks and tie pins. Usually, if jewellery is given to members of the wedding party, it is elegant and suitable for wearing on the wedding day, but not augmented with precious stones such as diamonds.
© Jewellery Box.org.uk 2006.
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